President Tayyip Erdogan announced a three-month state of emergency late on Wednesday after last weekend’s failed military coup, saying it would enable the authorities to act more efficiently to bring those responsible to justice.
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Of the deans dismissed, 1,176 worked in public universities and 401 in private institutions.
About 60,000 soldiers, police, judges, civil servants and teachers have been suspended, detained or are under investigation since the coup was put down.
The coup attempt has led to public anger and calls for the government to bring back the death penalty, while the state-run religious affairs body has said no religious rites would be performed for the coup plotters killed in the uprising.
“We still can not confirm the physical receipt of an extradition request, we’re in touch with Turkish officials”, a State Department official told Reuters, adding “They have indicated they will hand it over”.
Erdogan added that the government is making “critical preparations” to take an important decision in response to the Friday coup attempt, which claimed the lives of more than 200 people and left almost 1,500 others wounded.
“Tip-offs that these [people] are mostly linked with terrorist activities have been taken into consideration”, a ministry official said.
Gulen, a reclusive figure who resides in the US state of Pennsylvania where he is receiving medical treatment, once again denied any involvement in the coup attempt on July 18 and expressed confidence the United States will not hand him over to Erdogan.
Gulen has denied any knowledge of the failed coup.
The purges were meant to blunt the influence of the cleric, Fethullah Gulen, a rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Pentagon said that talks also took place on Tuesday between Defence Secretary Ash Carter and his Turkish counterpart regarding the Incirlik air base in southern Turkey.
“There is very strong suspicion for his [Gulen’s] involvement in this coup attempt”.
There are 9,322 people facing legal proceedings related to the attempted coup, according to Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus.
FETO is the term used by the government to describe supporters of Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who lives in the United States.
Also Tuesday, the National Intelligence Organization suspended 100 staff from their duties, a senior Turkish official said.
The spokesman said the State Department is looking into what may have been sent.
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He expressed “deep regret” at suggestions the death penalty could be reinstated.
